Steel Magnolias, one of the most iconic and quoted movies of the 1980s, will come to the stage this week at Cape Fear Regional Theatre.
It is a heartwarming story colored with the laughter and deep bonds of female friendship, set at Truvy’s Beauty Spot. The story navigates through the lives of beautiful yet strong Southern women, while teasing updos and spraying traditional “curl and set” hairstyles.
According to Director Laura Josepher, both the screen and stage versions were written by playwright Robert Harling, so all of your favorite lines from the movie are still in the play. Cape Fear Regional Theatre’s production opens Thursday.
“Everyone — women and men — will be able to find something they can relate to in the show,” Josepher said. “The themes of the play are universal: friendship, love and loss. The main difference between the play and the film is that the play features an all-female cast and takes place entirely in Truvy’s salon.”
The six characters are bride-to-be Shelby Eatenton, who hopes to have children despite having diabetes since childhood, her mom M’Lynn Eatenton, salon owner Truvy Jones and her assistant Annelle Dupuy Desoto, the ever-cranky, set-in-her-ways Ouiser Boudreaux and the former mayor’s widow Clairee Belcher. As the close-knit group of women encounter both tragedy and success, their friendships grow stronger through it all.
Libby McNeil Seymour, a familiar Fayetteville face who has performed in over a dozen shows at CFRT along with numerous productions at regional theatres across the nation, is playing Clairee.
“Clairee is fun-loving, curious, and smart, with a wicked sense of humor,” Seymour said. “She doesn’t take herself too seriously at all — except when the subject is football!”
As the characters move through the grief at the core of the play, Seymour said that she can relate to the character having recently experienced extraordinary pain of losing a loved one, as well as being able to count on a wonderful group of treasured friends who lifted her up.
“I like to think of Clairee as a fairy godmother of sorts,” Seymour said. “Her treasured friends at Truvy’s salon have become like family — especially since she lost her beloved husband Lloyd last November.”
Danette Holden, who plays the character M’Lynn, says that the heart of the story remains the same from the movie to the stage.
“At the heart of the story are the relationships of the six women in this show: the good, the bad and everything in between,” Holden said. “These women rely on each other for comfort, guidance and love.”
Holden laughed that she looks just like her mom did in the 1980s.
“I look exactly like my mother did in the ‘80s: red nails, dark hair perfectly done and dressed to the nines on most days,” Holden said.
Outside appearances, though beautiful and feminine, is the tough-as-nails strength of Southern women and their bonds.
“The most important moment for my character is the realization that she needed the connection with these women in her most traumatic moments,” Holden said. “It is the heart of this play. You will see the need for their true friendship.”
Performances for Steel Magnolias run from March 27 through April 13, with 7:30 p.m. performances Wednesday to Saturday and 2 p.m. matinees on Saturdays and Sundays at 1707 Owen Drive in Fayetteville.
Ticket prices range from $15 to $28. There are also a few special events throughout the run of the show, including M’Lynn’s Magnolia Arranging Class on March 27 from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. and Truvy’s Hair Tinsel By J.Co Salon & Blo’Dry Bar on March 28 from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. with Joshua Gray-Heim, the hair/wig designer for the show. The floral arranging class with Johanna Brumm of The Downtown Market of Fayetteville is sold out, but there will be standing room available to watch and learn the fundamentals. Military Appreciation Night is April 2 and Teacher Appreciation Night is April 4 with 25% off ticket prices.
The show is rated PG-13 for some mild adult language and themes.
For more information, visit the Cape Fear Regional Theatre’s website or call the box office at 910-323-4233. If you would like to purchase tickets in person at the theater box office, it is located at their new offsite office space at 310 Green St. from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. During performances, the box office will be open from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, moving to the 1707 Owen Drive location starting at 5:30 p.m.
Wear some blush and bashful for Shelby — of course, not just two shades of pink — one is much deeper than the other. You will fit right in.
CityView Media is a seasonal sponsor of the Cape Fear Regional Theatre. As part of that relationship, we agree to publish reviews of all main-stage productions on our website. The content of that coverage, however, is independent and within the discretion of the CityView editorial team.
